After green shoots sprout from the plant, many people wonder whether they should eat sprouting onion. Other types of vegetables, such as garlic, also germinate despite being stored correctly, but are they actually edible? With sprouted potatoes, for example, this can be dangerous as they become poisonous. But does this also apply to sprouted onions and can they be used as an alternative? Here are some consumption and storage tips, as well as other useful growing information you may want to consider.
Can you eat sprouting onions and what else can you do with them?
It’s a myth that sprouted onions are inedible. When the vegetables sprout, there is actually a kind of rejuvenation taking place, making the shoots fresh and crisp. It is therefore safe to consume and you can use these shoots in various recipes. This is because onions do not produce harmful substances during germination. However, the resulting nutrients are not that much as they are transferred to other parts. This can reduce the nutritional value of the vegetable while also making the taste feel different.
Usually onions germinate already at a temperature of 15 degrees, which makes storage in cool and ventilated places useful. However, you can store purchased onions in sunlight for a while and then refrigerate them to avoid germination. In addition, you don’t necessarily have to throw away sprouted onions, you could use them to prepare dishes or grow them back in the vegetable garden. Also, like eating sprouted garlic, this can actually be a sustainable and even healthy alternative. The worst thing that can happen when eating sprouting onions is experiencing a bitter taste after storing them too long.
How do you recognize bad onions?
There are certain signs you can use to tell when your vegetables are no longer edible. However, the green shoots are not necessarily a sign that your onion has gone bad. However, you can look for signs of rot or mold on the surface or inside to know when to throw the veggies out. This also includes musty odors, although these are not indicative of toxins. Otherwise, there are some steps you can take to be able to eat a sprouting onion.
The first thing you should do is try to use the vegetables as quickly as possible in the kitchen by roasting or boiling them. Over time, sprouted onions can also become soft and fibrous as the shoots eat away at their structure. This then requires preparation in a saucepan or in the oven. Just be careful not to give your dishes an unpleasant aftertaste with overly old onions. For this purpose, you should reach for the onion before adding it as an ingredient. Only cook onions that smell fresh and hot as usual. In the worst case, you can only use the green sprouts, although these can also be frozen like spring onions or other fruits and vegetables.
How else to eat sprouting onion?
As already described, sprouted onions are particularly edible in fried or boiled dishes. This will ensure they taste better, with the young sprouts being even spicier. Sprouting onions would also taste good on tarte flambée, but you can use them in numerous other recipes as well.
They are also suitable as a side dish. Of course you can also cut off the shoots and remove all unwanted parts of the plant. If none of this makes any sense to you, you can also plant the sprouted bulbs in a sustainable way.
How to plant sprouted onions
Another alternative option is to recycle your germinating plants by growing them in the garden. The vegetables also thrive in the balcony garden, although you can also use your windowsill for this. So if you don’t want to eat a sprouted onion, you can plant it to prevent food waste. In this way, the green shoots of the onions can continue to grow so that you can harvest them later and use them in dishes.
If you want to grow your sprouted onions on the windowsill, you should put them in a bowl of water first. After that, you need to change the water daily to support growth. In addition, you can also regularly cut off the germinating greens and use them for cooking. When growing the germinating bulb in a flower pot, you should fill the planter with loose potting soil and make a small hole in the middle with your fingers. Then place the onion in the hole with the roots down. Then add more potting soil until the bulb is almost completely covered. The shoots should remain free. Initially, you can lightly water the newly planted bulb and continue watering every two to three days.